The 51-year-old singer-songwriter, who has Type 1 diabetes, recently had kidney surgery after being hospitalized six times in two weeks, causing him to reschedule multiple performances.
- Nov 12, 2014
AceShowbiz - Bret Michaels recently underwent kidney surgery after being in and out of six hospitals over the past two weeks. His longtime guitarist and friend Pete Evick announced the news in a statement to fans posted on Bret's website and Facebook page on Monday, November 10. He also shared a photo of Bret in a hospital bed and a photo of one of Bret's stents.
"This past week Bret had to have surgery on his kidneys... Over the last two weeks Bret was in and out of 6 hospitals throughout the Midwest. Including the incredible Mercy Hospital of Northwest Arkansas. The staff and doctors were unbelievable and took incredible care of Bret," Pete wrote, "Bret continues to be steadfast in his dedication to bring the music to the people. He truly has to be held down to not perform."
Bret had two stents in the past week, Pete explained, after experiencing pain "so great that he simply could not perform last Thursday in Champaign." Shortly after the procedure, against his team and doctors' requests, he insisted on performing in Memphis. After the show, he was hospitalized briefly again and made his way to his next show in Knoxville.
"This time it went real bad. During the show [Bret] gave 100 percent, but he hurt himself. Jumping around with two stents was a bad idea. I can't explain the amount of blood or where it came from, but it was horrifying on his bus after the show," Pete shared.
"Bret was again taken to a hospital and this time given medication that would keep him down," Pete added, "The doctors basically refused to release him. Causing us to postpone the charity event once again. Bret was truly devastated. It's actually honorable to me that he always brings up the concern for the fans first before addressing his condition."
Bret's health has been rocky for the past few years. In 2010, the "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" singer, who has Type 1 diabetes, had an emergency appendectomy, and suffered a hemorrhage at the base of his brain stem shortly after. However, he has always continued to perform.
"While the last few weeks have been tragic, Bret continues to be an inspiration in his ability to push on. He's still not 100 percent, but there are no plans to postpone or reschedule any more shows this year," Pete stated, "While he was in dire pain, he still played an amazing show to an enormous crowd in Vegas a few days ago. We will see you guys this weekend in Florida."
On Tuesday, Bret announced on Facebook and Twitter additional shows to his schedule, including in Enoch, AB; Winnipeg, MB; Stateline, NV; and Maryland Heights, MO.
